Georgia Tech focused on improved shooting

ATLANTA -- Don’t be surprised to see certain Georgia Tech players have restrictions placed on their 3-point shots.

After another poor shooting night at Dayton, head coach Brian Gregory said the coaching staff likely will take a look at who can fire away at will. The results of that examination might become evident Tuesday night when the Yellow Jackets host Charlotte in their final non-conference game of the season.

“We’ve got to take a look,” Gregory said. “We’ve got enough data to see who should be taking those.”

Georgia Tech (8-3) has made only 44-of-183 from 3-point range, a 24-percent success rate. Quinton Stephens is the best out there with 37.2 percent. From there, the numbers get ugly in a hurry: Tadric Jackson (12.8 percent), Chris Bolden (25.0 percent), Travis Jorgenson (27.3 percent), Robert Sampson (26.7 percent) and Marcus Georges-Hunt (16.7 percent).

“That puts so much more pressure on the defense,” Gregory said. “Now every defensive mistake is a catastrophe because you work for a good shot and get an open 3 and don’t make it. That’s something we’ve got to take a look at. Maybe you can’t shoot that or the first time around you don’t shoot it. There’s enough data to start looking at it.”

Stephens was 1-for-6 on 3-pointers against Dayton, with Jackson 1-for-5 and Jorgenson 1-for-4. Against Vanderbilt, Georges-Hunt was 1-for-6 and Stephens was 1-for-4. Against Appalachian State, Jackson was 1-for-7.

The lack of a consistent outside threat has made things tougher against opponents who are willing to pack a zone and make Georgia Tech beat them from the perimeter. It has made it more difficult to get the ball inside to big men Charles Mitchell and Demarco Cox.

Those two have been effective when they get the ball in the paint. Mitchell averages 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, and Cox averages 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Charlotte (6-5) has played an aggressive non-conference schedule, too. The 49ers’ resume includes wins over Penn State and South Carolina and losses to then-No. 17 Miami and Georgetown, each by three points. Charlotte opens play in Conference USA on Saturday against Old Dominion. Charlotte will be Georgia Tech’s sixth opponent ranked in the top 100 in at least one of the RPI rankings.